Reflections in Ice
by hexboy
Summary: A seemingly innocent assignment turns into something else. Jaden Yuki discovers a hidden talent in Syrus Truesdale. But is there really more to it than an active imagination?
1. Chapter 1

Reflections in Ice:

I do not own, or claim to own Yu-Gi-Oh, Yu-Gi-Oh! GX, or any of the other settings and characters (other than a certain "S Kath") that will appear later. This is a work of fan-fiction, crossed with a love…okay, obsession, of RPG's.

I would like to, as always, give thanks to my good friend (and muse) Tab. Other thanks also go out to my gaming group: Larry, Andy, Chad, Heather, Partho, Matt, and Pinky! Thanks guys!

Reflections in Ice: A Yu-Gi-Oh GX fanfiction/crossover with (well, I can't tell yah yet!) Rated T for language, violence, and ahem…. As always, reviews are appreciated:

It was Friday, and Jaden Yuki was doing what he usually did during a class taught by Dr. Crowler, which was anything _other_ than pay attention. Jaden was absently-mindedly chewing on the cap of his pen when Crowler's voice snapped him to attention as a paper was tossed in front of him.

"Pathetic as usual, Slacker!" Crowler's voice was oozing with venom.

Jaden looked at the paper. "Oh yeah…the writing assignment." There was a bright red "F" stamped in the middle of the paper. Jaden shrugged. "Oh well…" he thought. "not like this has _any_thing to do with Dueling.

"Syrus Truesdale!" Crowler screeched out. Jaden heard a frightened whimper beside him.

"Y…yes, sir?" Syrus looked towards his least favorite teacher, silver-gray eyes wide with fear.

"See me after class. We need to discuss your paper." Dr. Crowler said as he started back towards his podium.

"Aww man." Muttered Syrus.

Jaden leaned over and whispered to his friend. "'s okay, Sy! Don't let him get to yah!"

Syrus managed a tiny nod.

When the bell rang, everyone filed out of the hall except for Syrus and Jaden. Syrus timidly walked up to Dr. Crowler. "Y…you wanted to see me, sir?" he asked.

Crowler looked up from his papers. "You, yes. Yuki, no!" He pointed towards the door. "OUT!"

Jaden started to protest, but the pleading look on Syrus face told him that he would only make his friend more uncomfortable. He sighed as he gathered his books and left the hall. Before he closed the door, he gave his friend a 'thumb's up' for encouragement.

(In the Slifer Red cafeteria:)

Jaden was stuffing himself when he heard the door open. He looked up from his plate to see an unfamiliar sight. Syrus was standing in the doorway, and he was smiling. A grin was spread across his face as he all but skipped over to the table and sat across from Jaden.

"'sup?" Jaden asked as he shoveled another load into his mouth.

"Oh…nothing!" Syrus was beaming. This was _so_ unlike him—especially having just came from a meeting with Dr. Crowler.

"Syrus, you are such a lousy liar. What did he want?"

"Oh…."

"Sy!"

Syrus giggled. "Okay, J! Dr. Crowler wanted to discuss my writing assignment."

Jaden raised an eyebrow. "Oookay! Since when has he wanted to yell at a Slifer in private?"

"He didn't yell at me. Matter of fact, he gave me a pat on the back."

Syrus was covered in rice as Jaden just spat the contents of his mouth across the table. "WHAT?"

"Ewww!" Syrus screwed his nose up as he began cleaning himself. "Gross, J!"

"Never mind that! Why was he congratulating you?"

Syrus looked hurt.

"Sy…you know what I mean."

Syrus smiled. "Yeah. Well he was so impressed with my assignment, that he's offered me a position on the school paper."

"The school has a paper?"

Syrus sighed and rolled his eyes. "Yes, dummy! Jaden, just cuz something doesn't _directly_ deal with Dueling doesn't mean it don't exist."

Jaden shrugged and went back to eating.

The hurt look came back across Syrus face. "Are…aren't you happy for me?"

The brunette reached across the table and ruffed the mop of blue hair that sat on Syrus' head. "Of course I am silly! So when are you gonna let me read your assignment?"

Syrus sighed then gave Jaden a smirk. "I'm not!"

"But Syyyy!" Jaden mock whined.

"Nope! One, I'm not done…I'm turning the assignment into something bigger. And, two…you got rice all over me!"

"Sorrry!" Jaden smiled. "C'mon, Sy! Let me at least take a look at the paper from class."

The bluenette shook his head. "Nuthin' doin'! You're gonna haveta wait like everyone else!" He stood. "Now if you'll excuse me…"

"Well, excuse me, Mr. Artiste!"

Syrus turned and stuck out his tongue through his smile.

Jaden went back to eating.

(In the dorm:)

"Night, J!" Syrus said as he climbed into the middle bunk.

"Night, Sy!" Jaden replied from underneath. Both had given up on wishing their third roommate a good night as the deep, rumbling snores of Chumley came from the top bunk.

Jaden waited until he heard the soft, sighing from above him before he quietly slid out from under his covers and stealthily made his way across the room to Syrus' desk. He looked back to make sure his friend was indeed asleep before he slowly slid the desk drawer open. The full moon made his search easy as he located Syrus' exam paper in the desk. A huge "A+" was clearly marked on the top of the essay, and there was a handwritten note, paper clipped to the side.

The note read:

"Well done! I never believed a Slifer Slacker such as yourself could take a simple assignment and create something as imaginative and unique that you did. It was a refreshing break from the normal dribble I would expect from a student from the Slifer dorm. Therefore, I am recommending you to be placed on the school paper in the position of fiction writer. I expect at least a chapter a week!"

Jaden had to re-read the note. Dr. Crowler giving Syrus praise? Unheard of! "Okay, now I've gotta find out what you wrote!" Jaden whispered as he pulled out the chair and sat down to read. The paper was written in Syrus' neat script, and the title read:

Syrus Kath--Reflections in Ice:1 - (Mis)Adventures in the Whispering Cairn:

"What in the world?" Jaden thought to himself as he continued reading:

Syrus Kath--Reflections in Ice:1 - (Mis)Adventures in the Whispering Cairn:

(The Gift)

"Syrus? Syrus Kath! Now where has that boy gone off to now?" the old man looked around the downstairs of his house. The downstairs was completely empty, so that only left one other likely place to look. Opening the door to the study, the wizard Allustan couldn't help but smile. There, peeking out from the top of a book was the blue mop of hair that was his apprentice.

"SYRUS!"

The youth jumped! "EEEP!" Squinting around the room, he spotted his Master. "M...Master Allustan! 'm sorry, Sir! I was reading, and..."

The old man smiled. "Completely lost yourself in the book!" The boy's cheeks blushed crimson. "Nay, lad! I'm not cross! In fact, I was coming to collect you! I'm fancying a game of Dragon Chess this afternoon."

Syrus let out a sigh of relief. "Yes, Sir! I'll fetch your case and be right at the door."

Allustan held up his case. "Already ahead of you, boy. Come, and afterwards we'll stop by the Drunken Giant. I hear that they might...just might have some of that spiced cider you're so fond of!"

The youth sprung to his feet and followed his Master out the door and down into the town of Diamond Lake. Already he could spot some of the miners returning into the town after a hard day's labor in the caverns. A strong breeze blew across the brackish lake, and he screwed up his nose at the smell.

Finally they arrived at the chess emporium. He opened the door for Allustan and followed. Once inside, he started to move towards to counter to rent a playing set, but Allustan called him over.

"You won't be needing to rent a house set anymore my lad!" Allustan reached into a deep pocket in his robe and removed a small wooden case. Syrus' eyes grew even larger than usual.

"F...for me?" he squeaked.

The old man smiled. "Yes, m'boy! Congratulations! You've finished your apprenticeship!" he handed the case to the boy.

Syrus' hands were shaking as he opened the box. Looking inside, he gasped at the workmanship of the tiny playing pieces. "Oh, Master Allustan! They...they're perfect! Thank you...thank you...thank you!"

Allustan gave a pleased chuckle. "Well, Syrus, you can show your appreciation by taking it easy on your old Master."

Syrus blushed. "You know I've never been that good at Dragon Chess..."

"Just believe in yourself, lad!" Allustan said as he started setting up his pieces on the board. Syrus did the same.

"I shall take the first move, Syrus."

Syrus nodded and scooted his chair as close to the playing board as he could. He squinted through the ill-fitting spectacles and watched the board as Allustan made the first move. He chewed his bottom lip in nervous concentration as he reached down to make his move.

The game progressed, with Syrus not looking up once from the table. Allustan had already had to reach across the table a couple of times to thump Syrus' bottom lip--the boy had been known to actually draw blood on himself if he was too deep in concentration.

Little did he know, that he was being watched as closely as he was watching the board. From across the room, the dwarven bouncer was eyeing the young, blue-haired apprentice closely...a plan forming in his mind.

"WOW!" Jaden said aloud and quickly clasped his hand to his mouth. There was a slight stir from Syrus' bunk, but neither he nor Chumley woke up. Jaden carefully replaced the paper back in the desk. He made his way back to his bunk and slid under the covers.

"Good work, Sy!" Jaden smiled as he looked up at the bunk where his friend was asleep. "I can't wait to read more." Jaden thought to himself as he drifted off to sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

Reflections in Ice:

Thanks for taking the time to read my little slice of insanity!

I do not own, or claim to own Yu-Gi-Oh, Yu-Gi-Oh! GX, or any of the other settings and characters (other than a certain "S Kath") that will appear later. This is a work of fan-fiction, crossed with a love…okay, obsession, of RPG's.

I also make no claims to any of the characters or places in the story that Syrus is writing. Well other than Syrus Kath, and another character introduced maaaaaybe in the next chapter!

I would like to, as always, give thanks to my good friend (and muse) Tab. Other thanks also go out to my gaming group: Larry, Andy, Chad, Heather, Partho, Matt, and Pinky! Thanks guys!

Reflections in Ice: A Yu-Gi-Oh GX fanfiction/crossover with (well, I can't tell yah yet!) Rated T for language, violence, and ahem…. As always, reviews are appreciated:

Part 2

The morning came all too quickly for Syrus. He let out a small whimper as he looked over at the clock on the desk. It showed that he still had about an hour before he would have to start trying to wake Jaden for class. He turned over onto his back and sighed. "Another bad dream." He whispered. For a moment his mind briefly flashed back to an incident a month ago. How he wished he could talk to his best friend about it, but that was out of the question. Only one other knew Syrus' secret: his older brother, Zane. He considered giving Zane a call on the PDA, but that thought was quickly dismissed.

Giving a small sigh, the little bluenette climbed down the ladder from his middle bunk and walked over to the desk. "Well I might as well get started." He gave another of his famous angst-filled sighs. "Aww, man! If I knew that Dr. Crowler was gonna make me do this all the time, I never would have done it in the first place!" Reaching into the desk drawer, Syrus looked at the papers. They were completely out of order. Syrus looked over towards Jaden's bunk and made a sour face.

"That sneak! Darn you, Jaden!" Syrus was hot. He walked across the room and retrieved a plastic bag from the trash. Wadding it up, he blew into it until it was inflated. He then stood at the head of the bed. Reaching back, he popped the bag.

Jaden shot up from the bed like a rocket, slamming his head into the bottom of Syrus' bunk. "YIPE!" Rubbing his head he looked around and into the scowling face of his friend.

"Uh, hey Sy!" he looked around and saw the clock. "What's with the early wake up, bud?"

Syrus just glared at him. That's when Jaden noticed the open desk drawer. "Uh oh!"

"You peeked!" Syrus said as he folded his arms across his chest.

Jaden couldn't help but smile. It wasn't often that Syrus got angry, and he was so darn cute when he did! "Cute?" Jaden thought to himself. "Where did that come from?" He shook his mop of brown hair to clear his head and sat on the edge of the bed.

"Yeah, I peeked. I'm sorry Sy. It was that you were just being so darn mysterious that I couldn't help but look. I'm sorry I invaded your privacy, but wow! Sy it was really good. And Crowler? I didn't think he'd ever find anything that we Slifer's did to be '_worthy_'." Jaden said as he mocked their professor with his last comment.

The anger seemed to wash from Syrus. Silver-gray eyes wide, he blinked a couple of times and looked over at Jaden. "You…you really liked it?"

Jaden nodded. "Yeah, Sy I did! I mean, sure it has absolutely nothing to do with Duel Monsters, but like you was saying last night, not everything has to."

Syrus smiled and sat down on the bed next to Jaden. "Thanks, J!" He reached over and gave his friend a hug.

"No problemo, bud!" Jaden said as he ruffed Syrus' hair. "So when do I get to see part two?"

Giving a slight sigh as his friend removed his had from his head, Syrus said, "When everyone else does!"

"But, Sy!" Jaden mock whined.

Syrus grinned. "Well…I _might_ let you look at the test copy."

"Test copy?"

"Yah, test copy. See they print up a few issues of the school paper just to check on the format of it. Anyone who writes for the paper gets one of the test copies. But…but you gotta promise that you won't share it with anyone before the real issue comes out."

"Cross my heart!" Jaden said as he made the gestures across his chest. "Well since you've already gotten me up. I guess I'll go get ready for class. TGIF bud!" Jaden smiled as he started gathering his things together to head towards the small washroom that the entire Slifer Red dorm had to share.

Syrus grabbed his things as well. "Wait up, J! It'll be good to get some _hot_ water for a change!"

Both boys laughed as they made their way towards the washroom.

(Later on in the lobby of the Obelisk Blue Dorm: )

Zane Truesdale was making his way down the winding staircase. By now he had gotten used to the glances and whispers of awe as he passed. He was just about to exit when the screeching voice of Dr. Crowler caught him.

"Oh, Zane! Hold on a moment, would you?"

Zane stopped at the door and sighed. As 'King' of Obelisk Blue, he never really had any problem with his dorm head, but that didn't stop him from finding Crowler as annoying as he was.

"Something I can do for you Dr. Crowler?" Zane said as he turned.

"No…no…nothing important, my boy, I just wanted to have a word with you about your little brother."

"Syrus?" Zane closed his eyes and shook his head. "What's he done now?"

Crowler laughed. "Oh, nothing _bad_ for once I can assure you. No. You never mentioned that your little brother was so talented!"

A look of confusion came across Zane's face. "Syrus? Talented? I know you're not talking about dueling!"

Once again Crowler laughed. "No. I'm talking about his other talent. For writing, I mean. He has quite the imagination!"

Zane scowled. This didn't sound at all good to him. "I know my little brother has quite the active fantasy life involving pretend crushed on Duel Monster cards."

Crowler's thin eyebrow rose. "Oh so he didn't tell you? He's made the school newspaper. He wrote such an interesting story for a recent assignment that I've given him his own place in the paper to continue his story." Crowler reached into the pocket of his coat. "Here is a copy of the paper that will be out later this afternoon. Keep it. I'll have another waiting for me on my desk."

Zane took the paper from Crowler and started reading. His expression was growing darker by the minute. "Syrus! I'm going to wring your neck!" he grumbled as he stuffed the paper in his pocket and made his way out of the dorm.

(At the same time at the Duel Academy Gym: )

Jaden and Syrus were having to endure another excruciating doubles tennis match, and Syrus was having a difficult time as usual with it. He barely managed to return a serve. Jaden made his usual "This is stupid!" comment as he sent the ball flying across the net.

Meanwhile, a bee had landed on the tip of Syrus' nose and he was too busy staring at it to see the ball flying towards him. "Don't sting me, please, Mr. Bee!" Syrus whispered.

"SYRUS! Look…"

Jaden was too late. The tennis ball slammed hard into the side of Syrus' head, knocking him backwards and off his feet. Jaden threw down his racket and ran over to his friend. The bee flew from Syrus nose.

"Sy? You okay, bud?"

Syrus' head was swimming. He started to sit up, but only managed to raise his head a couple of inches. Ms. Fontaine, the P.E. instructor, and head of the Obelisk Blue Girl's Dorm, ran over to where the bluenette lay. She gave him a quick once-over and had Jaden carry Syrus to the nurse's office. Jaden easily cradled the smaller youth in his arms.

"Just lay your head on my shoulder, Sy! We'll be there in no time!"

Syrus just mumbled something and brushed his face against Jaden's cheek. Jaden was startled for a second with the contact of their skin. Syrus was freezing! "Ms. Fontaine!" Jaden's tone was panicked. "He's…"

She nodded. "He's cold. I know. Let's get him to the nurse."

Jaden ran as fast as he could without jarring Syrus too badly. "Easy, pal."

For the first time in what seemed like an eternity to Jaden, Syrus half opened his silver-gray eyes. "J…Jaden?"

Jaden was slightly relieved. "Yeah, Sy?"

"I'm…"

Jaden finished the sentence for him. "Yeah, Sy, you're cold!"

Syrus mumbled. "Nuh-uh…I'm HOT!"

"Hot?" Jaden asked as he stepped out of the elevator and walked into the nurse's office. Ms. Fontaine had already called ahead so the nurse was expecting them. She had Jaden lay Syrus on the examining table. Jaden stood watching as she started work.

After a half hour, all she could tell was that Syrus had taken a nasty blow to the head. He'd probably have a bad headache, but otherwise he would be okay. His drop in body temperature, however, she was at a loss to explain.

"I'm going to keep him here for a few hours to watch him." The nurse said to Jaden as she scribbled out a note. "You run along to class. The two of you have the same schedule, right?"

"Yeah, but I don't wanna leave him." Jaden protested.

"I'll be fine, J!" Syrus voice came from the other side of the curtain. "I'm just gonna rest."

"I dunno…"

"Jaden, the best thing for him now is rest. You run along! This note will explain to your teachers about you being late and Syrus being absent. You can help him by taking notes."

A giggle came from behind the curtain.

Jaden grumbled and took the note. But before he left, he stuck his head around the curtain one last time. "You sure you're okay?"

Syrus nodded. "Yup. I think I might take this time to work on the next part of 'you-know-what.'" He said with a mischievous grin.

Jaden gave Syrus a thumbs-up and walked out of the nurse's office. Syrus sat there for awhile. The medicine that the nurse gave him for the headache had worked. But he still complained about feeling hot. The nurse came in at regular intervals and checked his temperature.

About an hour into it, Syrus started getting bored. He took out his PDA and checked the schedule. Taking a deep breath, he dialed a number. "Dr. Crowler? Um, I know this is your free period, sir, but remember yesterday in the meeting when you said that you could get me a old laptop to write my story on? Um…well sir, could you have one sent to the nurse's office?" He held his breath, expecting a tirade from his leas favorite instructor.

To his surprise, Dr. Crowler was pleasant. "Why of course my boy!" And in no time, a overused laptop was sitting in front of Syrus. It wasn't the best, but it was better than writing free-hand. He waited once more for the nurse to check his temperature, rolling his eyes as she did so.

Her look was one of puzzlement. She reached down and felt of his forehead.

"I'm still hot!" Syrus complained. The nurse just shook her head and walked off. Syrus waited a minute then removed his red Slifer blazer. He took a deep breath and started to write.

Syrus Kath--Reflections in Ice:2 - (Mis)Adventures in the Whispering Cairn:

(Enter Hewe)

"It is your move, Syrus."

The tiny, youth nodded his head sending locks of blue hair flying in all directions. "I…I know, Master. I'm trying to decide."

The old man smiled. "Good to see that he's still focused on the game and not letting his mind wander." He thought.

Syrus reached out his small hand and slid one of the pieces across the board. Allustan studied the board for a moment.

"Oh, ho! Trying to be clever, little one?"

A huge grin spread across the boy's face. "Um…maybe just a little." He smiled.

"So good to see him smile for a change." Allustan thought to himself. "Well, I must admit that your move has caused me to have to rethink my strategy." He slid a piece across the board and took one of Syrus' exposed pieces. "But you left yourself open for that! Always keep in mind the bigger picture, Syrus."

Syrus frowned. "Y…yes Master. I didn't think about that." He looked down sheepishly.

"Now…now." The old man chided. "None of that! One piece taken is not the end of the game! Your move!"

Studying the board, Syrus reached out for a piece but pulled back. "Hmm…he probably expects me to go on the defensive after his attack, which I'd usually do…but…hmm…yeah, if I press my attack, I can take his _Knight Protector_ off the field!" he thought to himself.

"Okay, I'm moving my _Court Assassin_ in to take your _Knight Protector_!' Syrus grinned slyly.

"You little rascal! You kept on the offensive! Well played!" Allustan beamed with pride, causing Syrus to blush.

The game between the wizard Allustan and his apprentice had begun to attract attention in the chess hall. It was a treat to watch Diamond Lake's resident master of the arcane play Dragon Chess, and for a change his apprentice was actually putting up a decent fight.

Unnoticed by the crowd, the dwarven bouncer had begun to weave his way through the crowd. "That little wizard will be just the thing I need for that little trip I've got planned!" he chuckled aloud.

"I never expected you to take such a risk by making two attack actions. Taking my _Knight Protector_ out with the assassin, which keeps me from simply bringing in the healer! Good move! But you didn't take into consideration the whole board, Syrus. By moving the assassin out and over like you did, you've left your Wizard completely open!"

"Wha--?" Syrus blinked in disbelief. "_Court Assassin_ over to take his _Knight Protector_, while my _Regal Healer_ is beside my _Knight Protector_…" He thought to himself and moved closer to the board. "…while leaving no one by my Wizard and his assassin in a direct line to…" he slumped in his chair.

Allustan sighed. "You see the move, Syrus?"

"Y…yes, Master."

The old man took his figure of the _Court Assassin_ and moved it beside the figure representing Syrus' wizard. "That's game."

A disappointed moan came from the crowd as coin was exchanged. Syrus simply sighed as the crowd started to disperse. All save for one dwarf who waited until the two had began to pack their playing pieces into their respective cases. He strode up to the side of the table where the boy was seated.

"A word if you please, Master Wizard."

Syrus was taken off-guard. "Oh, you'll be wanting Master Allustan." He said as he pointed across the table. Allustan chuckled.

"No, lad. I think he was addressing you!"

Syrus looked towards Allustan with disbelief. "M…me? Why on Oerth would anyone want to speak with me?"

Allustan laughed. "Well, why don't you ask him, boy?"

Syrus turned towards the dwarf. "Y…you were asking for me?" he squeaked.

The dwarf laughed deeply. "Yea, lad! Muh name's Hewe…Hewe Stonesigil, and I have a business proposition for you."

"F…for me? B…but why, what?"

The dwarf smiled. "I couldn't help but notice that ol' Allustan has presented you with a gift. And that can mean only one thing: you've finished apprenticeship! Correct?"

Blue locks nodded. "I'll always be his apprentice, but yah, my 'official' schooling has ended."

"Well then…Then you'll probably be wanting to go out and seek your fortune as an adventuring wizard."

"Well, I haven't…"

Hewe interrupted. "That's why I have a proposition for yeh. There's this cairn I know of…calls it the 'Whispering Cairn' they does. Know of it?"

Syrus nodded. "'m…isn't…isn't that the place where all of the local youth go to…to prove themselves and to…um…be…um…" he blushed.

"Aye! To be alone with their sweet-one! So ye've been there?"

Syrus shook his head. "N…no! I've just heard the locals talk about it. Why do you want to go there? Anyplace where the local youth go to…um be alone…um should've been cleaned out ages ago!"

"Well, I've just come into some reliable information that there's more back there then moldy old blankets stained from decades of trysts! I'm talking real treasure m'boy, and I could use some scholarly expertise!"

"Um…I…I don't know…" Syrus chewed on his bottom lip nervously. "Master Allustan…"

Allustan walked over to where Syrus was sitting and gently thumped his bottom lip. "Stop that! You'll leave marks! Master Allustan will be fine. You've got to get your start somewhere. Do you think Tenser would be where he is today if he just stayed indoors and brewed tea?"

"N…no Sir!"

"Well then. Tell Hewe that you'd be glad to join him."

He sighed. "I would be honored to join your party, Hewe. How many others do we have?"

"Including the two of us?"

Syrus nodded.

"Two."

The boy's eyes grew wider than normal. "T…two?" he stammered. "B…but w…we're going into an…an unknown area…d…don't we at least n…need a cleric?" He could feel goose-flesh starting to break out and suddenly his stomach felt very tight.

"Eh…I hadn't really thought about that, but you do raise a good point. Never can have too many healers!" Hewe stroked his beard in thought. "Hmm…but where? The clergy of Heironeous, what few they are, are part of the town's militia and not adventurers. That only leaves the…"

"The temple of St. Cuthbert." Syrus interrupted as he gave an involuntary shudder. "You might be able to get one of the Cudgelers, but…but you…" he lowered his voice. "You know how they are!"

Hewe nodded. "Aye! Strange lot…always going around beating on themselves, well, when they're not beating on others! Bah! What harm can there be? You go prepare yourself, lad. Leave everything else up to ol' Hewe here!"

The knot in his stomach had gotten tighter and his mouth felt like old linen. "W…when do we leave?" he asked, voice quivering.

"Bright and early tomorrow! Meet me in the Vein! Don't look so glum, m'boy! This'll do you a world of good! Put hair on your face!" He gave Syrus a playful slap on the back that sent the boy tumbling out of his seat.

Syrus grabbed the seat of the chair to steady himself as he stood. "A…alright. I'll see you tomorrow…" he whimpered.

Allustan stood and walked over to his apprentice. "Come lad. Let's prepare. Ah! This reminds me of my second adventure!'

Following his master out of the building, it suddenly hit him. "Your 'second' adventure? What about your first?"

The old man chuckled. "Well, now…I took an orc club to the side of my head shortly after I started out on my first adventure…don't remember much after that!"

Syrus whimpered.

Syrus Truesdale took a break from writing. The nurse had walked in once again to check his temperature. He sighed and made sure to save what he had written so far. She walked out of the room.

He opened the laptop again, but just as his fingers touched the keys the door opened once more. Expecting the nurse, he looked up. Zane was there, and his older brother looked none too happy.

Well that's all for now. Thanks for reading, and as usual, reviews are most welcome.


	3. Chapter 3

Thanks in advance for taking the time to read

Thanks in advance for taking the time to read. I'm really enjoying this! I want to take the time to apologize for taking so long to update this. Things have been really bad.

I do not own, or claim to own Yu-Gi-Oh!, Yu-Gi-Oh! GX, or any of the other settings and characters (other than a certain "S Kath") that will appear later. This is a work of fan-fiction, crossed with a love…okay, obsession, of RPG's.

I also make no claims to any of the characters or places in the story that Syrus is writing. Well other than Syrus Kath, and another character introduced maaaaaybe in the next chapter!

I would like to, as always, give thanks to my good friend (and muse) Tab. Other thanks also go out to my gaming group: Larry, Andy, Chad, Heather, Partho, Matt, and Pinky! Thanks guys!

Reflections in Ice: A Yu-Gi-Oh GX fanfiction/crossover with (well, I can't tell yah yet!) Rated T for language, violence, and ahem (yes there will be romance and yaoi later on) …. As always, reviews are appreciated:

Reflections in Ice: Chapter 3

"Just what the Hell is this?" Zane Truesdale asked as he tossed the paper onto the bed. Syrus looked down at the paper, blinked twice, and looked up at his older brother.

"Uh, the school paper?" he said innocently.

Zane narrowed his gaze, which caused Syrus to gulp. "Care to explain yourself?"

Syrus took a deep breath. "I…I panicked. Look, Zane, I know I messed up."

"'Messed up?'" Zane made sure the door was closed tightly. "That is putting it lightly Syrus. You're supposed to be keeping a secret. Do you have any idea…?"

"Yeah, I do, Zane." Syrus interrupted his brother. Silver-grey eyes stared back at steel-blue eyes as the younger Truesdale boy shot his older brother an angry glance.

Zane's expression changed from one of anger to surprise. He'd never had Syrus interrupt him before. He shook his head. "Take it easy, Syrus. I suppose I did overreact."

The little bluenette raised an eyebrow. Zane cracked a small smile, but quickly changed back to his usual no-nonsense demeanor. He sat down on the bed next to his little brother. "So… Still having the dreams?"

Syrus took a deep breath and nodded. "Yeah. It was a bad one last night. I started to call you, but I didn't wanna be a bother." He gave an involuntary shudder as a flash of the nightmare returned.

Zane did something that Syrus was unaccustomed to. He reached over and gave the smaller boy a tight hug. "You should've called, Sy. I won't pretend that I understand everything, but you know you can always talk to me." When Syrus didn't respond right away, Zane reached down and took Syrus' chin into his hand, forcing the boy to look up at him. "Right?"

"I…I guess so, Zane." Syrus' eyes had started half filling with tears. "It…it was really bad! I'm starting to get more and more…"

Zane interrupted Syrus. "You're cold." He said as he removed his hand from his brother's face. "Are you feeling alright?"

A sigh came from Syrus. "Yeah, I'm okay! I got popped with a tennis ball earlier, but other than that I'm okay." He actually gave a small giggle. "Well, as okay as I can get! The nurse is kinda freaked out 'cuz I keep tellin' her that I'm hot!"

Zane smiled as he ruffed his brother's hair. "You _do_ have a small knot right here."

Syrus winced slightly as Zane touched the tender spot. "Zane?"

"Yeah, Sy?"

"I'm so hot! You think you could get me something to drink?" Syrus asked as he looked up at Zane with a pitiful expression on his face.

Zane laughed as he stood up. "Sure thing, lil' bro. Tea?"

"Iced?" Syrus asked as he gave his brother a smile.

Zane rolled his eyes. "I wouldn't expect you to have it any other way now. I'm just worried about you Syrus…" Zane's voice trailed off.

Giving a deep sigh, Syrus nodded. "I know Zane, an' I'm sorry. I mean, it's not like I really _want_ any of this. I mean…" Syrus stopped talking as the door to the room opened and the nurse returned. She gave Zane a warm smile as she started checking Syrus' temperature.

She looked at the thermometer once again and shook her head. "Zane, has he ever had this problem before?" the nurse asked.

Zane sighed. "My little brother has always been sickly. It would probably be easier for me to tell you what he's hasn't had. I think a few years ago he came down with a chill like this."

"Hmm. Doesn't seem to be any mention of it in his medical records." She took out a small pen-light and checked out Syrus' eyes. "Well good news is you don't have a concussion. Are you sure you're feeling alright?"

Syrus nodded. "Whatever you gave me for the headache worked. I'm just really hot right now!"

"Would it be alright if I got him something to drink?" Zane asked the nurse.

"That would be just fine. You can go on and take him back to his dorm if you want to." She took out a pad and scribbled a note on it before handing it to Syrus. "Here is your medical excuse for the rest of the day and I don't want you doing anything too physical until next week…Tuesday at the earliest. Come straight back here if the pain returns or you feel sicker, okay!"

Locks of blue hair went everywhere as Syrus nodded. "Thank you."

"So you want me to take you back to your dorm?"

"Big brother, you and I both know why I'm cold and burning up right now. The headache's gone. I'm gonna go back to the room and do my homework."

Zane scowled. "Alright then, but if anything, and I do mean anything happens, you call me at once! Got it?"

"Umhum. I gotcha!"

Syrus left Zane at the stairs to the academy and walked back to the Slifer Red dorm in silence. Once in his room, he took out the old laptop and started writing.

Syrus Kath--Reflections in Ice:3 - (Mis)Adventures in the Whispering Cairn:

(Nose in the books)

Syrus walked back with Allustan towards their home. He had kept his head down the entire time and hadn't caught a word that Allustan had said. In fact, it wasn't until he stumbled into his Master's back that he had realized that they had stopped.

"Mordenkainen's Beard! Boy, watch where you are going!"

"I…I'm s…sorry M…Master!" Syrus whimpered.

Allustan turned and squatted down to face the youth. Syrus' eyes had already started to water. "Now, now…" he said as he gently placed a hand on each of the boy's small shoulders. "It is only natural for you to be nervous. Trust in your training Syrus! I wouldn't let you take one step beyond this door if I thought that you weren't ready. You need to learn to believe in yourself! I have never been more proud of you than I have today! I realize just how difficult it is for you, but this is for the best. Just keep your wits, always be aware of your surroundings, and don't be afraid if the situation calls for it to run!"

"Run?"

"Yes m'boy! Run! There is nothing to be ashamed of in running away if it will save your life!'

Syrus was confused. "But…but isn't that the coward's way?"

The old man spat. "Only the foolish think that there is bravery in death! You've been spending too much time around those Heironeans! Take my word for it Syrus! It was a wizard who created the spell _Expeditious Retreat_, and for good reason!"

Syrus gave a tiny giggle. Allustan sighed in relief. The tension could be read on Syrus' face like a book! He stood and gave the youth a gentle push towards the door. "Go! Do what we wizards are expected to do!"

He looked at his Master questioningly. "Master?"

"Bury your nose in a book!" He laughed. "Research, my boy, research. The books on the history and geography of this area are…"

"On the third shelf on the bookcase by the writing desk. Right next to the book of elvish poetry." Syrus giggled. He knew Allustan's library better than his Master did.

"Oh? So the apprentice seeks to show up his Master?" Allustan said in mock indignation.

"N…no, Master!" Syrus giggled. "'s just I've been cleaning the shelves for so many years now I think I could find any book with my eyes closed."

The old man laughed. "Which you've done many a time as you practically go through the day with them closed!"

Syrus blushed as he walked into the study and went right to the shelf where the books he would need were kept. He took the heavy tomes over to the writing desk and carefully sat them down. Reaching into a drawer, he removed several sheets of parchment, a pot of ink, and a sharp quill. Then with a shark scrape across the floor, he pulled up the chair to the desk and started to work.

A few hours later, Allustan looked in on his apprentice. Syrus had his face down into the book, his nose just barely above the pages. He was scribbling notes on the parchment and had made quite a mess. The one thing he could never do was break Syrus of his sloppy penmanship. He smiled as he made the words and gestures for a _Prestigitation_ spell to clean up the ink spills and fallen sheets.

Syrus yawned and stretched. He looked down at the now clean desk. "Hello, Master Allustan." He chirped.

"Studies going well, scamp?"

The bluenette giggled. "Better than I'd thought. For a place that's supposed to have already been explored and safe, there's been some people who've vanished."

"Oh?"

He nodded. "Yeah…'bout thirty years ago. There was this youth who ran away from his family's farm. He was last seen heading to the Whispering Cairn. And about sixty years ago and entire adventuring company…well tomb robbers all disappeared there. And about six years ago a girl disappeared."

"And have you found why it is called the Whispering Cairn."

"Uh huh. There's a passage in one of the books that says there's some kind of piping in the corridors and with the way the wind blows through it makes a sighing sound." Syrus smiled with pride in his research. "Oh! I almost forgot, I found mention of a map. About fifty years ago, there was a old mining office in the area, but the mine went bust, but I think the old office might be there. It is only a short walk from it to the Cairn, and so I thought that it might serve as kind of a camp area for us. I think that Detrick Cicada at the garrison might have that map in his collection. I was about to see if he would let me copy it."

Allustan smiled. He was glad that Syrus was focusing on the research of the area, and not on the people who had disappeared there. "Yes, lad, he just might have it. Well if you plan on doing that, you'd better be off. Sun is starting to set, and he'll be off on patrol soon!"

Syrus shot out of the room and bounded down the stairs. He paused at the door only long enough to shout out a quick thanks to his Master.

He ran through the streets of Diamond Lake as fast as his small legs would carry him. By the time he had crested the hill on the outskirts of town where the garrison was stationed, he was gasping for breath. One of the soldiers spotted the boy. It was easy to tell Allustan's apprentice! No one could mistake the blue hair.

The soldier, still relatively new to the area, pulled his mount alongside the panting youth. "Syrus, isn't it?"

He could only nod.

The soldier reached out a hand. "Here, climb on. I'll give you a ride. Headed to the garrison?"

"Y…yeah…" Syrus gasped.

A laugh came from the soldier. He sounded fairly young. "Well, just take a rest. It wouldn't look good if you passed out before making it to your destination. Oh, my name's Jadin. I was just stationed here from the Free City."

"H…hello, Jadin! I'm Syrus…Syrus Kath."

The young soldier laughed. "Yes, I know. You're not too hard to spot. Not many people our age in the city with blue hair! How'd you come by that anyway?"

Syrus felt the heat rising in his cheeks. He hated being asked that question, but due to a promise made to Master Allustan, he had to answer. "Stupidity!"

Jadin turned his head. "Beg pardon?"

A deep sigh was heard from behind the young soldier. "I was stupid. I was snooping in Master Allustan's alchemy laboratory. I stuck my nose where it didn't belong. I was looking in his spellbook and looking through his alchemy experiment. I lost my balance on the chair, slipped and landed in the middle of the table. As I fell, I kinda said…well 'some'thing that was kinda magical, and the next thing I knew, my red hair had changed to blue!" Syrus looked down.

"Blue, huh? Wonder why blue?"

Syrus shrugged. "Dunno. After Allustan had finished making sure that I was alright, then finished scolding, then finished punishing me, he had a theory that…well, I kinda have a knack for _cold_ magick. Maybe that was why my hair kind turned blue. I hate it, but it is a reminder not to go snooping where you don't belong."

"Well, I think it is kind of interesting. I mean it gives you character. Makes you unique!"

Syrus blushed. "Th…thanks!"

They had finally arrived at the garrison. "Well, here you go! Nice meeting you, Sy!"

Syrus carefully got down from behind Jadin. "Yeah! Nice to meet you too, J!"

The young soldier dismounted himself and walked his horse into the stable leaving Syrus in front of the door to the garrison. He took a deep breath and walked inside. This wasn't his first time in the garrison, having been on map exchange between Cicada and Allustan in the past. That was when it hit him. He was here not as Allustan's apprentice, but as an actual wizard in his own right. He gulped as he knocked on the door to Cicada's chamber.

"Come in." a pleasant voice said from behind the door.

With shaking hands, he turned the knob and walked inside. Detrick Cicada was seated behind a desk, maps covering every inch of it. He turned to face the door. "Oh, Syrus. What a pleasant surprise. Old Allustan in need of a map is he?"

Syrus shook his head. "No…no sir. Um. I'd like to see if you might have the map that shows the old mine office near the Whispering Cairn."

Cicada looked shocked. "Why, yes Syrus I do have that map. Why do you ask?"

He nervously bit his lip. "Um, I'd like to make a copy of it if you wouldn't mind. I've been asked to accompany someone to the Cairn. He says there's more there than has been explored. I'd kinda like to look at it."

Cicada smiled. "Why of course. I don't mind in the least." He started rummaging through a drawer full of scroll tubes. "Ah. Here it is."

Syrus took the tube and unrolled it on the table. He took out some parchment, ink, and quill. "Thank you sir." He started to work copying the map.

A few moments later, Cicada looked over at Syrus' work. It looked nothing like the original. He smiled. "Syrus, why don't you just take the map with you. I know you'll take good care of it!"

"Are…are you sure, sir?"

"Absolutely! Who knows, you might come across a map or two during our travels, and I'd be more than happy to take it off your hands."

Syrus rolled the map back up and carefully replaced it in the tube. "Th…thank you sir! This will be a great help!"

"Anytime, lad!" Cicada said. "Good luck on your quest!"

"Thank you, sir! I hope to see you soon!" Syrus said as he closed the door and started making his way back towards the home he shared with his Master.

By the time he arrived at the door, it was already quite dark. He cursed himself for not having done his evening chores as he walked inside. The smell of something cooking drifted towards him, and his stomach growled for attention. Allustan walked out of the kitchen, carrying a tray with two bowls. "Ah, Syrus! Just in time for supper!"

"But, Master Allustan, that is my job!"

"Not for tonight, my boy! You've got a big day ahead of you, Syrus. You eat, and get yourself straight to bed."

"Yes sir." Syrus said without protest as he pulled up his chair to the table and began to attack the bowl of stew.

After eating, he crawled into his nightshirt and collapsed onto the bed. Sleep quickly claimed him. Allustan snuck into the boy's room and gently removed the spectacles from Syrus face, placing them on the nightstand.

"Sleep well, my son!" the old man said, smiling down onto the sleeping form. "Your destiny begins in the morn!"

Syrus had just enough time to save his work before the battery in the computer died out. He checked the bag the computer had came in, but there was no power cord to be found. He gave a sigh and rolled his eyes. "Typical."

He had just gotten up to get a glass of water when he heard footsteps outside. The door went flying open and in stomped Jaden.

"Frikkin Creepy Crowler!" he mumbled.

"Hey, J!"

Jaden jumped about a foot in the air. "Sy? Hey buddy! You okay?"

The little bluenette nodded. "Yah! I'm fine! Just got a nasty bump on th' head. What's wrong?"

Jaden rolled his eyes. "Crowler. What else?"

"Figures. You wanna talk about it?"

"Nah. I'm just glad you're feelin' better, bud!" Jaden said as he ruffed his friend's hair. It was then that he spotted the laptop. "You been writing again?"

"Yeah, but the battery gave out on me, and they didn't give me a replacement cord for it."

"Maybe we could give Bastian a call. If he doesn't have an extra, he probably knows where we can get one."

"Good idea, J!"

Jaden dialed their friend's number on his PDA and waited. Sure enough Bastian had an extra cord and would bring it down after dinner.

"Problem solved!" Jaden grinned at his little friend.

"Thanks, J! I don't know what I'd do without you!" Syrus smiled.

"No biggie bud. You hungry? I am!" And without waiting for a reply, Jaden took his friend by the arm and headed for the Slifer cafeteria.

((Thanks for taking the time to read this and again, I'm sorry for the delay! --hexboy--))


	4. Chapter 4

Thanks in advance for taking the time to read

Thanks in advance for taking the time to read. I'm really enjoying this!

I do not own, or claim to own Yu-Gi-Oh!, Yu-Gi-Oh! GX, or any of the other settings and characters (other than a certain "S Kath") that will appear later. This is a work of fan-fiction, crossed with a love…okay, obsession, of RPG's.

I also make no claims to any of the characters or places in the story that Syrus is writing. Well other than Syrus Kath, and another character introduced maaaaaybe in the next chapter! Oh yeah…and the name is pronounced JAD-in (Jadin) not like JADE-in (Jaden).

I would like to, as always, give thanks to my good friend (and muse) Tab. Other thanks also go out to my gaming group: Larry, Andy, Chad, Heather, Partho, Matt, and Pinky! Thanks guys! And an extra huge thanks to Larry and Heather for lending me their old laptop so I can at least write while I'm stuck baby-sitting two crazy old women! smile

Reflections in Ice: A Yu-Gi-Oh GX fan fiction/crossover with (well, I can't tell yah yet!) Rated T for language, violence, and ahem (yes there will be romance and yaoi later on) …. As always, reviews are appreciated:

Reflections in Ice: Chapter 4

After eating in the barely passable Slifer cafeteria, they headed back upstairs. A young man in a yellow jacket was standing outside their door.

"Hey Bastian!" Jaden waved as he spotted his friend.

Bastian turned and nodded. "Jaden. I've brought the power cord for our own little Tolkien."

Jaden just stood there with the blank face he used in class when he was clueless, which was most of the time.

"The man who wrote the books that the _Lord of the Rings_ movies we watched last week were based on." Syrus said as he topped the last step onto the second floor of the dorm. His face was flushed and it wasn't from the climb. "Bastian, I'm not _that_ good!"

The best of Ra Yellow gave a little chuckle. "Perhaps not now, but who knows in a few years. You've really surprised everyone."

"I hate to admit it, Short-Stack, but that was not bad at all!" came a sneering voice from behind Syrus.

Syrus gave a little yelp and looked behind him, and as he did, a cool breeze flowed across the balcony, making the coat of the boy behind him billow out. "Ch...Chazz!"

Chazz sneered. "Yeah…'Ch…Chazz! Now move it! You're just big enough to be in the way!"

Syrus quickly moved by to let the older and meaner duelist by. He felt a rush inside. Not the usual heat that comes with anger, but a deep, deep cold. He glared at Chazz and for just a second, the older boy backed off. It was just one step back, but for Chazz it was major. Chazz stormed off into his room without another word, slamming the door behind him.

Both Jaden and Bastian were staring at Syrus. He turned to face them, his face back to its usual look of innocence and vulnerability. "What?" He asked.

"Whoa, Sy! You just stood up to Chazz!" Jaden said. "Well, in a creepy way, but you stood up to him! I'm proud of yah bud!"

Syrus flushed once more then looked at the cord in Bastian's hand. "That for me?"

Bastian gave a laugh. "Well I'm fairly sure that Jaden would have no need of a computer power cord."

Jaden laughed as he didn't consider his friend's remark an insult. "That's right! I don't do computers!"

Bastian handed the cord over to Syrus. "Remember, no how much Dr. Crowler pushes you, have fun!" He turned and headed towards the stairs. "See you in class tomorrow."

They waved goodbye to their friend and headed inside. Syrus immediately went to the old laptop and plugged the cord in. "Perfect fit!" he chirped.

Jaden had already sprawled out on his bunk, half reading a magazine. "Yup! Just like us!" he laughed.

Syrus blinked a couple of times before answering back. "Heh…heh yeah, just like us!" he nervously laughed as he checked the computer. "Hey, Jay?"

"Yeah, Sy?"

"If you don't mind, I'm gonna get back to this, okay?"

"Sure. Just don't push yourself." Jaden gave a yawn. "I'm gonna take a nap. See you later, Sy!"

Syrus gave a mumble of acknowledgement. He had already begun typing away before Jaden had finished talking.

Syrus Kath--Reflections in Ice:4 - (Mis)Adventures in the Whispering Cairn:

(Morning Rain)

Morning came all too soon for Syrus Kath. He had turned in early at his Master's suggestion, and had had a very short nap before being woken up by a nightmare. He eventually had to resort to this foul tasting herbal tea to get to sleep. He awoke shortly before dawn, lit the small lamp in his room, and pulled out his spellbook to begin the morning ritual of memorizing his spells for the day.

"Hmm…let's see…well we're gonna be traveling out of Diamond Lake, so I'd better ready to fight." He whimpered. Sighing, he took a deep breath. "Get a hold of yourself, Syrus! Nothing to be scared about… Ah! _Mage Armor_! That'll do for a good defense…now…um…ah! _Lesser Orb of Cold_ as an attack spell I think."

He finished off his spell preparation and made one last check of his gear. Allustan had already outfitted the boy with a brand new explorer's outfit and backpack. He dressed and made sure his spell component pouch was secure.

"Only one last thing to do." He sighed.

A sharp rap at the door snapped him out of his thought.

"Syrus, boy! Are you awake?"

He opened the door to find his Master standing there. "Yes, Sir! I'm…I'm as ready as I'll ever be."

Allustan smiled and gave the youth a pat on the head. "You'll do fine, lad! Heading out?"

Syrus nodded. "Yes, Sir! I'm going to make a quick stop and…" he frowned.

Allustan had seen this look before. He gave a small nod. "Yes, you should say goodbye to her. Well, may Fharlanghn bless your steps Syrus! I will be expecting a detailed accounting of your finds."

"Thank you Master!" Syrus said, his eyes tearing up as he wrapped his small arms around the old man.

"Now, now. No tears now! What would people say if they saw the apprentice of Allustan crying?" He said as he stroked the boy's hair lovingly. Allustan had never had much time for a family and, as much as he fought against it, Syrus had become the son he never had. Not that he would admit that to the boy.

Wiping away a tear, Syrus tried to put on a brave face. "I'm…I'm not gonna cry! I'll do you proud, Master!"

"I know you will, boy! Now scoot! Time's wasting."

Syrus bounded down the stairs. He walked out the door, stopped and took a long look at the house that he so desperately hoped to return to. Then taking a deep breath, he headed down the lane towards the less than reputable part of the town.

Arriving at his destination, he shuddered and walked inside. The place still stank from the activities of the night before. He had no more closed the door than a sharp voice made him spin.

"Well? So what are 'you' doing 'ere?"

"G…good morning, mother!"

A miserable wretch of a woman walked towards him, her clothing and hair disheveled. "Good? Wha's so good 'bout it? So what brings you 'round?"

He shivered. He knew that this would not go well. "I…I'm leaving, mother. I've been asked on an expedition. I just wanted to say goodbye before I left."

"So…leaving then? Jus' as well…just like yer father and brother a'fore…"

"I…I'll be back. I promise."

His mother snorted. "I've 'eared that one a'fore…So then…off with ye!"

He nodded. "Good bye, mother!"

She didn't answer him as he walked out the door.

A single tear rolled down his cheek. "NO! Don't cry! Don't!" He closed his eyes and tried to fight back the flood that was threatening.

He didn't hear the horse trot up beside him. "Ho! Syrus? Is everything alright?" It was the young soldier, Jadin that he had met last night.

Syrus didn't respond. He just sat there sobbing. Jadin dismounted and knelt down beside the crying boy.

"SYRUS!?"

He looked up, tears streaming from his huge silvery-gray eyes. "J…Jadin?"

Jadin nodded. "Yes, little friend. Are you hurt? What is the matter?"

Out of reflex, Syrus wrapped his small arms around the other youth. "Oh! She…she was so horrible! I just wanted to tell her that I was leaving, and maybe…maybe hear that she loved me…" he started wailing.

Jadin hesitated for a moment, then put a hand on Syrus' head, and began stroking the sobbing boy's blue locks. "Shhh…shhh…'s alright. Everything's okay now!" He looked up and realized just where he was. "Oh, Syrus! Don't go wasting your time in a place like this. They'll promise anything for a few coppers! Don't go thinking that you can fall in love there!'

Instead of having a calming effect, Jadin's words did the opposite and Syrus was in full weep.

"You…you don't…don't understand…" Syrus wailed. "'s not a girl there! 's my MOTHER!"

Jadin felt a knot in his stomach. "Gods!" he thought. "His mother! Good going orc-brain! Now you've made things worse!" he thought to himself. Syrus' cries had now turned to hiccups.

"Look, Sy! I know I just stuck my foot in my mouth. Forgive me, please! I had no idea!"

Syrus sniffed, hiccupped, and wiped away his tears. "Not…hic…your…hic…fault! Didn't know…hic my…hic mother was a…hic hic…"

"Still…I am so sorry. Here I was trying to comfort you, and look…I've only made thing worse. No wonder I'm last in the garrison for promotion!" Jadin said as he removed a handkerchief and dabbed at Syrus face.

Syrus took the handkerchief and blew his nose. Jadin made a face at the sound. Syrus offered it back to him, but he just waved it away. "Nah. You keep it!" he smiled.

"'m sorry!" Syrus actually made a small grin appear on his face.

Jadin laughed. "Will you be alright now?"

He nodded. "Yah! Thanks! Hey! It just hit me. Isn't it kinda early for a patrol?"

"Yes." Jadin said as he made to mount his horse. "Someone broke into Taggen's General Store last night. We're all out trying to find out who."

Syrus' eyes grew wide. "Tagen? What'd they take? Strongbox?"

Jadin shook his head. "No, just food, and not just any kind of food neither. Trail rations. And to make it even weirder, they left a note saying that they'd be back to pay!'

Syrus shook his head. "Odd indeed! Thanks again, Jadin. I kinda needed to let myself go! I appreciate it!"

The brunette wheeled his horse around. "Any time, Syrus. Say, how about meeting me for dinner tonight, say at the Dancing Giant?"

"Sorry, can't" Syrus sighed. "I'm leaving in just a little bit. I'm…I'm out on my first adventure."

"Oh? Well, then! When you return with fame and riches, you can buy me dinner!" Jadin laughed.

Syrus giggled. "Well, I don't know about riches. What kind of adventurers would be wanting a wizard like me?"

"Smart ones! Luck be with you Syrus!"

"Luck be with you Jadin!" He told his new friend as the young soldier rode off. Syrus looked up at the morning sun. "Judging from the shadows…I'm late…" He took off at a sprint towards the main road of Diamond Lake, the Vein as it was called.

Rounding a corner, Syrus could spot three figures. One was obviously Hewe. The others, a female and a rather huge male, he didn't recognize.

"You're late." Hewe said matter-of-factly.

"S…sorry. Had…had to take care of some last…last minute things." Syrus gasped.

"Well then. Let's be off!" Hewe started out.

"Um, Hewe?" Syrus whispered.

"Yes?"

"The Whispering Cairn is this way!" Syrus pointed in the opposite direction.

Hewe looked funny for a moment. "Ah…I was planning on heading in the other way for a while. Just to throw off any would-be followers! But since you've pointed out the way we'll be eventually heading…Well no need for subterfuge now!"

Syrus took a deep breath. The knot in his stomach had returned. He simply nodded and started walking with the others. "What have I gotten myself into?" he whispered.

Syrus TRUESDALE gave a yawn and stretched at the computer. He sat there for a moment and thought about what he had just written and if he should have done it at all.

He gave another little yawn as he saved the file. "I can always go back and change it later on." He thought. "It'll be a few weeks before that part'd be due anyways." He shut the computer down and looked over at the three-tier bunk where Jaden had begun snoring.

Syrus gathered his things together, took a quick shower and changed into a set of gym clothes that also doubled as pajamas. He considered waking Jaden up, but decided against it.

"Wouldn't be the first time he's slept in his clothes." Syrus gave a tired little giggle and climbed the ladder up to his bunk, pulling the covers off as he did. He yawned again, picked up his teddy, Mr. Fuzzybear, snuggling him out of sight and settled in for sleep. Just before he closed his eyes, he whispered, "Please. No nightmares!"

He wouldn't be that lucky.

In his dream he was on the side of a broken cliff wall. Smoke swirled in the air, cutting off his vision for a moment. A deep and utterly inhuman voice laughed, the laughter echoing through the canyon.

"You will all DIE here!" The voice boomed. There was a small part of him that wanted to cry out, to curl up and just give up, but another part of him was determined, defiant even, and that is where he drew his strength from.

A gout of flame shot towards him and the people standing next to him. Flame so hot that it turned some of the sand in front of him to glass. The hidden voice once again laughed, but that laughter was cut short with a hissing sound of surprise. The flames had not touched him or his comrades. They had been protected by a spell he had cast beforehand.

That part of him, the angry part, the part that drove him now took over. "You are nothing but the incompetent lackey of an impotent divinity! Your flames are nothing compared to the Uttercold!"

"INSOLENT WHELP!" The voice boomed louder and with more malice than before, its strength sending small rocks tumbling down the canyon. "I will show you, mortals. Behold the chosen of the Worm that Walks!"

There was a sick scraping sound of bone against stone. A gigantic form rose from out of the shadows and loomed over the small group. It was a dragon! Well more precise it was a dragon's skeleton, but it moved with all the grace and speed of a living dragon.

Once again, that tiny boy inside of him wanted to cry out and bolt like a rabbit, but he stood fast. (Syrus Truesdale gave a small whimper in his sleep and hugged his teddy bear tightly.) A giant, well to Syrus most humans were taller than him, of a man stepped forward, drawing an enormous blade as he did so. "We fear you not he who's name is not worthy to be named!"

The dragon skeleton roared in anger, and that was what he had been waiting for. Syrus, a dark-skinned perfection of woman hood, and a man who looked like he was more suited for keeping book tally rather than combat, all released the spell they had been holding at the same time.

Syrus Truesdale screamed in his sleep! Jaden, who was usually hard to wake, was immediately awake and aware that something was wrong with his best friend. He rolled out of bed and stood up, looking at the middle bunk where the little bluenette slept.

"Sy?! Buddy?" he gave the small boy a shake. "C'mon Syrus! WAKE UP!"

"J…Jaden?" Syrus barely managed to get the word out. His throat was raw from the scream.

Jaden tried to give the boy a reassuring smile. "It was just a nightmare, Sy! A really bad one, but you're here at the academy. You're safe!"

"Oh, Jay!" Syrus' eyes welled up with tears and he lurched forward towards the older boy, wrapping his arms tightly around his friend and sobbing on his shoulder. Jaden held his friend there and absentmindedly reached up and started stroking and petting his friend's hair. He had accidentally came across this calming method just before the two of them were about to fight in a tag-team duel, and he had used it on his high-strung friend before.

"Shh…shhh….everything's alright. You're gonna be okay! I'd never let anything happen to you buddy!"

Syrus calmed down a little and released the grip on his friend. He sat back in his bunk lying on his side, looking at Jaden.

"You wanna talk about it?" Jaden asked.

Syrus shook his mop of blue hair. "No." He whispered.

"It might help."

Again Syrus shook his head no. "I'll be fine. Just nerves I guess."

"No offense Sy, but I've seen you nervous plenty of times, and you've never been like this!" Jaden said with concern in his voice.

"I'll be fine." Syrus said as he reached over for the ladder and started climbing down. I'm gonna go get some ice water from the cafeteria. You want anything?"

Jaden shook his head no. "Well you know if here for you, right?"

Syrus nodded. "I know Jay! I'm sorry I woke you!"

The lanky brunette gave a shrug. "Eh, 's okay. I needed to go take a shower and get changed anyway. You need me, holler, okay?"

"Okay!" Syrus said as he headed outside and down the stairs. He started walking, but passed up the cafeteria and walked out into the woods. He had grabbed the little device that all the students received—part PDA, part cell-phone with two-way camera, part net browser. He checked the time, decided it wasn't too late and pushed a button. A preset number rang.

A moment later the screen changed from the working screen to the contact screen. His brother's face looked back at him. Before Zane could speak, Syrus said, "Nightmare! Bad!"

His older brother nodded. "I'm at the lighthouse."

Syrus nodded and closed the phone as he started walking towards the lighthouse.


	5. Chapter 5

Thank you all so very much for all of the adds and great reviews

Thank you all so very much for all of the adds and great reviews!

I do not own, or claim to own Yu-Gi-Oh!, Yu-Gi-Oh! GX, or any of the other settings and characters (other than a certain "S Kath") that will appear later. This is a work of fan-fiction, crossed with a love…okay, obsession, of RPG's.

I also make no claims to any of the characters or places in the story that Syrus is writing. Well other than Syrus Kath and Jadin!

I would like to, as always, give thanks to my good friend (and muse) Tab. Other thanks also go out to my gaming group: Larry, Andy, Chad, Heather, Partho, Matt, and Pinky! Thanks guys!

And I guess it is time for a little bit of an explanation…

One night after coming back from a convention planning meeting, Larry, Andy and myself were talking about just how early it was and how it had been awhile since Larry had Game Mastered anything. He said that he had been reading this series of adventures in the _Dungeon_ magazine, and he could run them for us. "You'll definitely need a scholarly type." He said. So I volunteered to take the role of wizard/researcher. While I was doing the mechanics of character creation, I wrestled with the personality for the character. For some reason a picture of Syrus as a wizard came to my mind, and so Syrus Kath was born.

The story that Syrus Truesdale is writing is the adventures of Syrus Kath and company, but they WILL have meaning on the life of Syrus Truesdale! What that is, I just can't say right now. I hope you will keep reading!

Reflections in Ice: A Yu-Gi-Oh GX fan fiction/crossover with (well, I can't tell yah yet!) Rated T for language, violence, and ahem (yes there will be romance and yaoi later on) …. As always, reviews are appreciated!

Reflections in Ice: Chapter 5

Syrus crossed the bridge that linked the main island to the tiny outcropping of land that held the main harbor and lighthouse. The fog had not rolled in yet, and Syrus could spot the silhouette of his older brother facing the open sea.

Zane sensed the presence of his little brother even before he spoke. The wind seemed to have taken a slight chill for the briefest of moments. "Syrus." He said without turning around.

"Yeah, me…"

Zane turned, his usual neutral or slightly disapproving scowl gone. He was genuinely concerned for his little brother. "What happened?"

"I had another nightmare, but there was something different about it. I don't know…" Syrus' voice trailed off into nothing.

"Was it about _him_ again?" Zane asked.

Syrus gave a slight nod of his head. "Yeah, it was one of the biggest battles I, uh…_he_ ever had."

Zane scowled. "That's the reason why I was against you writing this Syrus. I think you are starting to identify with him more and more. I've been noticing things."

Syrus' face went even paler than it normally was. "I…I know Zane. The whole temperature thing…and…and I lost my temper at Chazz earlier and I don't think I _did_ anything other than glare at him, but he backed down. I didn't mean to."

"I think you might have given him a little bit of an opening." Zane said.

Syrus gulped. "I hope not. I just thought that writing might help me sort through things. And I really didn't start off intending to write this much. Dr. Crowler caught us all off guard that day. I mean, a creative writing assignment _not_ to do with dueling…"

"So you panicked."

A tiny nod came from Syrus. "I was thinking about starting like a diary or something to try and get a grip."

Zane walked over to his little brother and put an arm around the smaller boy's shoulder. "That's okay, Syrus. I know you didn't mean to do anything bad on purpose. You want to talk about the nightmare?"

"What I'd like to do is forget it, but something doesn't make sense. If it is _him_ trying to influence me, why did it get me so afraid? If I try and think hard, I can remember that fight he had."

"Was it bad? Did he get hurt?" Zane asked carefully.

Syrus shook his head. "No. Just the opposite, actually. The totally owned the Dracolich!"

Zane scowled. "Dracolich?"

"Um, kinda like a dragon but all skeletal and stuff…undead thing. Really powerful!"

"So you're saying the battle was a victory?"

"Honestly, Zane, I don't want to think about it, but yeah. It was easy! We…" Syrus was cut off. A searing pain shot through his head and he fell to his knees, grasping his head. He felt like his brain was on fire, and soon he felt nothing at all as he blacked out.

When he came to, he opened one eye. He was on the ground and Zane was holding him tightly. "Z…Zane?"

A look of relief came over the older Truesdale. "I'm here little brother! Are you okay?"

To his amazement, the pain was gone. "I think I am. What happened?" Syrus asked.

"You grabbed your head, screamed and passed out." I think you had better take things easy, Sy. Don't try to force yourself to remember things."

A tear rolled down Syrus' cheek. Zane reached down to wipe it away. He scowled when he touched the tear and noticed that it had turned to ice. "Do you want me to take you back to your dorm, or would you feel better sleeping with me?" Zane asked.

Syrus blushed. "I don't want you to think I'm a baby!" Syrus said, with a hint of defiance in his voice.

Zane smiled. "I don't think you're a baby, Sy. If you're sure you're okay, then you'd better get to bed. I'll walk you back to your dorm." Syrus started to open his mouth to protest, but Zane held up his hand. "I'm not treating you like a baby Syrus. It's after curfew. If you're caught out alone, you'd get in trouble. At least with me with you, nobody is going to stop you."

"Yeah, I guess you're right. Walk me back to the dorm. I don't know about bed. I think I'll take a shower and grab something to drink to calm my nerves."

They walked in silence back to the Slifer Red dorm. "If you need me, just call. I mean it, Syrus!"

Syrus gave his older brother a smile and a quick hug. "I promise Zane!"

Zane returned the hug and walked down the wooded path towards his own dorm. Syrus walked towards the shower. "I don't need clean clothes. Just a quick shower, get some ginger ale and try to sleep." Syrus though as he entered the shower room and disrobed. He entered a stall and turned the cold tap on full blast. A feeling of euphoria washed over him as he tried to cover every inch of his small frame with the soothing water. He turned around to face the spray head and closed his eyes, enjoying the feeling of the ice cold water striking his smooth skin.

It took him a moment to realize that the comforting spray of water had stopped. He opened his eyes, blinked and yelped. As he did, he broke the lines of solid ice that had formed between his body and the shower. Each spray nozzle had frozen against his skin, leaving little needle thin slivers of ice. A wave of fear spread over him as he turned the water off and started breaking the ice from his flesh. What scared him the most was not that there was any pain doing this, far from it, there was no pain at all. No what frightened him the most was how…natural the ice felt against his skin. He quickly dressed, and headed for the cafeteria.

He silently opened the door and started rooting through the refrigerator. After grabbing the glass bottle, he turned and started for the door. He climbed the stairs back up to his room and quietly entered.

Jaden was sitting on the floor beside his bed. Syrus smiled. Jaden had apparently showered and decided to wait for Syrus to come back, but had lost the battle with staying awake. He walked over and gave his best friend a gentle nudge. Jaden woke with a start.

"Who? Wha? Oh, Sy!" the older boy rubbed his eyes. "Where yah been bud?" Jaden asked with a yawn.

"I couldn't sleep so I thought I'd take a walk to clear my head."

"No offense, bud, but I thought you hated walking around campus alone, especially at night."

"I did. I mean, I _do_. But I saw Zane down by the lighthouse. He walked me back here."

"You okay? You're hair's wet. You didn't fall in did you?" Jaden asked. He knew how freaked out his friend got with deep water.

"Nah. I'm fine. I just took another shower to relax me. Jay, I don't think I'm gonna be getting any sleep tonight." Syrus said.

Jaden yawned again. "Well, I'll get my deck and we'll…"

Syrus shook his head. "No offense, Jay, but I really don't feel like dueling, and honestly, you're about to fall over. You get some sleep. If I fall asleep in class tomorrow, you can take notes for me!" Syrus grinned as Jaden slipped into his bunk.

"Well, if you're sure you're okay, bud!"

"I'm fine, Jay! I'm gonna do some more writing, maybe I'll get sleepy after awhile."

"'kay. G'nite, Sy!"

"Nite, Jay! I love you!" Syrus said, and no sooner than the words came from his mouth, he clasped his hands across it. A bead of sweat dripped from his brow, and he could feel his heart pounding in his chest. He waited.

The only response from Jaden was a long drawn-out snore. Several heartbeats later, Syrus took a deep breath. "Ohmygodohgodohgod!" he though, his mind panicked, whirling.

It took him several minutes to calm down. "God," he whispered, "I can't believe I just said that!" His hands were shaking as he unscrewed the bottle cap on his drink and took a quick swig. He wiped the sweat off his brow as he turned the computer on and started typing.

Syrus Kath--Reflections in Ice:5 - (Mis)Adventures in the Whispering Cairn:

(Meet the Cudgelers)

The four walked in silence for about a half an hour, when the large man looked down at Syrus.

"You gots a stick too?"

Syrus looked up at him. "You…you mean my staff? Yeah, but I'm not too good with it."

"May I see it?"

Reaching out the staff, well small branch was more like it, Syrus handed it over.

"Oh boy!" The large man said as he brought the staff across his back with a tremendous WHACK! "This is a good beating stick!" he said as he gave himself another mighty thwack!

Syrus' eyes were as big as saucers. He started to open his mouth, when Hewe grabbed him by his sleeve and led him off towards the bushes.

"Ah, well, perhaps it is time to mention…ahem You are a worshiper of St. Cuthbert.'

Blue locks flying as he shook his head. "No I'm not." Syrus said.

Hewe winked. "Yes you are!"

Syrus looked at the dwarf puzzled, the wink lost on him. "No. I'm not!"

The dwarf snorted. "YES YOU ARE!"

About that time, the young woman and the mountain of a man came crashing through the bushes towards the two. Syrus leaped about a foot in the air and came down behind Hewe.

"Alright! Let's get this over with you brigands!"

"B…brigands?" Syrus stammered.

"Yes brigands! I could see the two of you plotting on when you were going to jump us, but if you think Tarah, Priestess of St. Cuthbert of the Cudgel and her brother Preston will be easy prey, you can think again!"

The knot in his stomach had spread to his throat. "H…Hewe? What…what's going on? We're not brigands!" He turned towards Tara who held a huge warmace at the ready. "I'm…I'm no brigand! I'm Syrus…Syrus Kath, apprentice of the wizard Allustan! How…how can you not recognize me?"

The dwarf gave out a hearty chuckle. "He's got you there, missy! Not too many blue-haired whelps running around Diamond Lake! And you know that ol' wizard's not gonna take a thief into his home."

Tarah studied Syrus. "Well now that you mention it, he wouldn't." She lowered the mace, but only slightly.

Syrus gave out a sigh of relief. "We…we weren't planning on jumping anybody!"

"Then why were you whispering over in the bushes?"

He gave a small shrug. "For some reason, Hewe thinks I'm a worshiper of St. Cuthbert, which I'm not!"

The dwarf gave out an audible moan and clasped his hand to his forehead. The followers of St. Cuthbert weren't known as the sort of folk very tolerant of other's beliefs. Most were of the "You worship St. Cuthbert, don't you?" "No!" WHACK! "You worship St. Cuthbert, don't you?" "No!" WHACK! "You worship…" "YES!" sort.

Tarah shook her head. "I wouldn't expect for a misguided wizard to know of the glory that is St. Cuthbert, but there's still time for you, boy! Now, dwarf…how far till we reach the Cairn?"

Hewe stroked his beard in thought. "Perhaps two…maybe three days on foot."

Syrus moaned to himself. "Great!" he thought. "Stuck out in the wilderness with two fanatics and a lying dwarf!" His shoulders slumped as they started marching towards the cairn. The only sound coming from the group was the occasional THWACK of the staff across Preston's back as he cheerfully sang, "We're goin' on a journey!" THWACK! "Goin' on a journey!" THWACK!

Three days later, they came across the ruins of the old mining office shown on Syrus' map. "We can camp here for the night and make a go of the Cairn in the morning. From what I can figure, it should be a short walk there."

They made camp, and sat the watches for the night. Thankfully, as had been their standard routine, Syrus was excluded from watch duty, which gave him a full night's rest so that he could prepare his spells in the morning.

Morning came all too soon. After dressing, the group extinguished their fire and made their way in silence towards the opening in the hills that was the Whispering Cairn.

Syrus yawned. He looked over at the clock. It was still relatively early so he decided to try to get some sleep. He saved his work and shut down the computer.

He climbed into his bunk, snuggled up with Mr. Fuzzybear and closed his eyes. He started to drift off to sleep.

"_You will be mine!"_ a voice whispered in his mind, but he was so exhausted physically and mentally that he didn't take notice of it.


	6. Chapter 6

Thank you all so very much for all of the adds and great reviews!

I do not own, or claim to own Yu-Gi-Oh!, Yu-Gi-Oh! GX, or any of the other settings and characters (other than a certain "S Kath") that will appear later. This is a work of fan-fiction, crossed with a love…okay, obsession, of RPG's.

I also make no claims to any of the characters or places in the story that Syrus is writing. Well other than Syrus Kath and Jadin!

I would like to, as always, give thanks to my good friend (and muse) Tab. Other thanks also go out to my gaming group: Larry, Andy, Chad, Heather, Partho, Matt, and Pinky! Thanks guys!

Reflections in Ice: A Yu-Gi-Oh GX fan fiction/crossover with (well, I can't tell yah yet!) Rated T for language, violence, and *ahem* (yes there will be romance and yaoi later on) …. As always, reviews are appreciated!

Reflections in Ice: Chapter 6

Syrus rolled over at the sound of the buzzing alarm clock. He waited for a moment in hopes that Jaden would get up and shut it off, but his friend held to his normal pattern, which was to totally ignore the alarm. Syrus gave a slight sigh, unrolled from the covers, padded over to the clock and shut it off.

He walked over to the bottom bunk where Jaden slept. "Hey, Jay!" Syrus said as he gave Jaden a slight nudge. "Time to get up! C'mon, Jay! I don't wanna be late!"

Jaden let out a snort at he woke. "Mornin' already? Man, feels like we just got to sleep!" he gave a stretch and threw off the covers as he rolled out of bed.

Syrus was already in the process of getting dressed. Jaden joined him by the closet and started dressing himself. "So did you get any sleep?" Jaden asked as he pulled on his black shirt.

"Yeah a little bit." Syrus said as he pulled on his yellow turtleneck. "I wrote a little more and it kinda relaxed me."

Jaden looked down at the smaller boy and smiled. "Remember, bud, anytime you wanna talk, I'm here for yah!"

"I know. I just hate feeling like a baby that's all!"

The pair finished dressing in silence and ate a hearty Slifer Red breakfast of oatmeal (how it could be both lumpy and runny at the same time was just one of those things one didn't want to know the answer to), burnt toast and juice. They finished eating and started down the path towards campus. A low rumbling could be heard off in the distance and they looked up at the sky.

"Looks like rain." Jaden mumbled.

Syrus gave a little giggle. "Hey, be thankful. They'll have to call off tennis class today."

Jaden laughed. "Why do you care? You're excused from P.E. until next week!"

"Yeah, but your missing the point. If they call off P.E., they might have a Free Dueling period."

Jaden's eyes lit up. "Oh! Wow! I didn't think about that! You really think they will?"

Syrus gave a shrug "They might, or then again we might have to attend a spur-of-the-moment lecture by Dr. Crowler."

Jaden groaned. "You just had to ruin it didn't yah?"

"I'm just being a realist." Syrus said as he opened the school door as the first drops of rain started to fall. A crack of thunder sounded and Syrus jumped forward into the building.

Jaden had to hide a grin. Syrus was deathly afraid of thunderstorms (which was just one of the many things the little duelist was afraid of).

"Wow Syrus." A voice sounded from just inside the hallway.

"Yeep!" Syrus yelped and jumped again, placing his hand over his chest. He looked up and saw the smiling face of the queen of Duel Academy. "A…Alexis. You…you scared me!" he squeaked.

She gave a laugh. "I can see that. What I was going to say was that I don't think I've ever seen you jump that high, but you proved me wrong." She walked over and gave the smaller boy a pat on the head. "What's got you so jumpy today, Sy?"

Jaden walked up. "He's had a couple of bad nightmares lately, 'lexis."

Syrus' face flushed with embarrassment and a little bit of anger. "Thanks a lot, Jay!" he fumed as he stormed off down the hallway.

Jaden had his usual look of innocent confusion on his face as he looked at Alexis. "What'd I do?"

Alexis sighed. "I think you may have embarrassed him a bit, Jaden. You know how touchy he's been lately. You might want to have a talk with him at lunch."

"Yeah, that's a really good idea." Jaden nodded. "Thanks 'lexis!" He looked up at the clock on the wall. "Ugh. We've got Dr. Crowler's morning lecture, don't we?"

"So what's the big deal? You usually sleep through it anyway."

Jaden laughed. "Heh. Yeah. Well maybe Crowler'll be so busy jabbering away that maybe I can straighten things out with Sy before lunch. See yah in class." He gave her a wave as he made record time to his least favorite instructor's class.

Syrus was already sitting in his usual seat. Jaden made his way over and sat down. "Hey bud." He said.

Silence was his only reply. The little bluenette had his nose buried in a textbook. "Look, Sy. I'm sorry. I just thought…"

"No you didn't."

"Huh?"

"You didn't think, Jaden!" Syrus snapped. Jaden winced as he was unaccustomed to this tone of voice from his friend. "That's your problem. Now leave me alone. I need to study."

Jaden took a long look at Syrus. He could count on one hand the number of times that his friend had raised his voice at him. He started to open his mouth but thought better. "Give him some time to cool off." He thought.

Class started and it was as bad as Jaden had thought. Usually he would nap, but not today. Crowler had a pop quiz planned. He gave a moan as he received the stack of papers. Jaden took one from the top and passed the rest to Syrus, who almost jerked them out of his hand. Syrus took one, handed the stack to the student next to him and silently started work

About fifteen minutes later, Syrus stood up and took his test up to Dr. Crowler. Jaden noticed this and sighed. He usually delivered both of their exams as Crowler was another thing on Syrus' phobia list. Jaden noticed that Syrus said something to Crowler, who gave nothing more than a slight nod of his head, and Syrus left the hall.

"Wow! You really pissed him off." Chazz's sneering voice came from behind Jaden. Jaden growled under his breath and went back to trying in vain to complete the test.

Unfortunately for him, the bell rang and he had to turn in an incomplete exam. Jaden quickly hurried to his next class hoping to catch up with Syrus. Halfway down the hall he remembered. "Oh, dang! P. E.'s next. Sy doesn't have it till next week." He shook his head as he entered the boy's locker room.

One thing was in his favor. The downpour outside resulted in postponement of the dreaded tennis class and sure enough, a free duel period resulted.

Jaden looked around the arena for his friend. Syrus may have been small, but there was no mistaking his hair. He spotted a Truesdale, but not the one he was looking for. "What the heck?" he thought as he walked over to Syrus' older brother. "Hey, Zane."

Zane looked over and nodded towards the Slifer duelist. "Jaden." He said in his usual neutral tone. He arched his eyebrows. "Where's Syrus?"

"Um…I was just going to ask you the same question. We had a little bit of a…"

Chazz interrupted. "They had a bit of a lover's spat." He smirked then quickly sought a safer area to avoid the elder Truesdale's possible retribution.

Zane glared at Chazz then turned the same gaze to Jaden, who gave a shudder. "What did you do to my little brother?" he asked, his voice had a slight growl to it.

"I shoulda stayed in bed." Jaden moaned as he covered his face with his hands. He sighed and looked at the scowling Obelisk duelist. "Now I kinda know how Sy feels." Jaden thought. "Look Zane," he said, "I wasn't thinking, don't say it, and opened my big mouth and I think I hurt Sy's feelings. I'm trying to find him to say I'm sorry, but I can't find him anywhere."

"He is probably in either the library or computer lab since he has been excused from P. E. class." Zane said, the menacing tone gone. He, however, still continued to scowl at Jaden.

"Thanks Zane. I'll…"

"Jaden Yuki to the Duel Arena Floor." The Dueling Proctor announced.

"Dang it." Jaden muttered. For the first time, he was somewhat reluctant as he approached a duel, but his trouble with Syrus was quickly forgotten as the duel progressed.

Zane watched the lanky Slifer duel for a moment then sighed and shook his head. He started to walk out when he saw Dr. Crowler approaching. He gave a slight moan.

Alexis noticed Zane's predicament and mouthed, "I'll go look for him."

Zane nodded. "Yes, Dr. Crowler?"

Alexis took a quick look in the library. It was all but deserted. "No Syrus here." She whispered as she headed towards the computer lab. The school was all but deserted as the majority of the student body was in the arena.

She rounded the corner and heard the 'clack' 'clack' of typing keys. Sure enough, Syrus was sitting at one of the terminals typing. She took a peek over his shoulder at what he was typing.

Syrus Kath--Reflections in Ice:6 - (Mis)Adventures in the Whispering Cairn:

(Into the Cairn)

The four walked for about fifteen minutes towards the hills, finally arriving at the entrance to the Whispering Cairn. Tarah snorted as they walked towards the opening in the earth. "Doesn't look like much." She said with scorn.

Syrus turned towards her. "That's what I tried to tell Hewe. The Whispering Cairn's been all but picked over ages ago, but he insists that there's still treasure inside."

The dwarf chuckled. "Aye, treasure. We just have to be smarter than those before us!"

"Well, there'd better be! Just remember, you've promised the Church of St. Cuthbert half of everything we find."

Syrus' head spun towards Hewe. "H…half?" he whimpered. "But that only leaves us with…"

Hewe cut him off. "I know what I'm doing, youngling!" He gave Syrus a firm nudge forwards.

"Wait." Tarah said firmly. "What are we to use as a light source?"

The dwarf snorted. "I don't need anything."

"Well, we do." She said. "You're the 'leader' of this expedition. You're supposed to supply us with equipment."

"I have plenty of food and water for us all." Hewe said smugly.

Tarah scoffed. "Rope? Lanterns and oil? Torches perhaps?"

Hewe said something in Dwarven. Syrus didn't speak Dwarven, but growing up on the streets like he did, he had picked up quite a few curses in several languages, and could tell immediately it was something unpleasant relating to Tarah's parentage. He cleared his throat.

"I..."

Everyone spun to look at him. He took a few steps back. "I…I can provide light." He whimpered. He timidly walked up to Preston. "My s…staff…may I have it back?"

Preston just stared at him blankly. "Whu?"

Syrus chewed his lip. "Um...my…'beating stick.'" He said as he pointed to his quarterstaff still in Preston's firm grip.

"Oh…okay…" Preston said dully as he handed the stick back to Syrus.

With shaking hands, the young apprentice waved his hand over the top of the staff and spoke a word in the language of the Dragons. "_LIGHT_" A bright sphere of light appeared on the tip of the staff.

"Hurmph." Tarah snorted. "At least someone's thinking ahead. Shall we?"

The group cautiously walked inside the entrance. Just inside, a slight sighing noise could be heard.

"Must be why they call it the 'Whispering Cairn.'" Syrus thought to himself. He slowly walked over to the wall. In the illumination provided by his spell, he could make out a mural of some sort on the wall. Unfortunately time and vandals had left their mark and only the faintest traces of the original work could be seen. One panel appeared to show a several tall, androgynous beings engaged in some sort of battle with spidery demons. He moved forward a few steps and examined the wall closer. The wall seemed to be raised slightly in places. Syrus ran a shaking hand over the raised place and moved his head down, placing his ear against it.

"Oh!" he gasped aloud.

The rest of the group stopped to look at him. Syrus started to grin. "The…these are pipes…air from somewhere is moving through them. That's where the sound's coming from!" He squealed in delight.

Hewe shook his head. "Great, boy, but come up here and take a look at this." He pointed forward. Syrus walked over and looked in the direction the dwarf was indicating.

At first glance, it appeared to be nothing but a pile of rubble. Syrus cautiously walked forward. An outline of a small arch could be seen and the rubble was shards of glass. There was some odd writing around the arch. He carefully walked forward and moved his nose to within an inch of the runes.

Tarah gave Hewe a questioning look. "Blind as a Grimlock." Hewe mouthed. Tarah nodded.

"Hmm…" Syrus thought aloud. "This kinda resembles Auran...but not…hmm…" He took a few scraps of parchment out of his pack and started to make copies of the runes. "Master Allustan'll know what they are."

"Well?" Tarah asked impatiently.

Syrus hadn't heard her. He kept examining the runes. "Definitely some form of Auran…" He bent down to examine the shards of glass. Speaking in Draconic, he cast a spell. _"Detect Magic."_

The pieces of glass glowed with a faint aura that only he could see. He moved in closer, not that doing so had any effect. Very ancient, almost faded traces of magic still lingered on the shards. Syrus turned in the direction of the arch. The same miniscule traces were on it as well. He concentrated, sweat starting to bead on his forehead. "Ah!"

"Ah?" the others echoed.

Syrus adjusted the ill-fitting spectacles on his nose and looked up with a sheepish grin. "Um…sorry. I kinda forget myself sometimes…Well, from what I can determine on the spot, those runes on the archway, which isn't an archway at all, but the frame of a mirror, and these shards of glass are what's left of the mirror, which had to have been broken with a tremendous force to shatter what was possibly a minor artifact, had to have…"

"Uh, Syrus?" Hewe tried to interrupt.

"…been an artifact for trace magic to still linger for so long after it…"

"SYRUS!!"

Syrus jumped. "Wh…what?" he asked frightened.

"You were babbling." Tarah smirked.

He looked sheepish. "'m sorry…I do that when I get excited." Syrus took in a deep breath. "I can't be sure what this was, but the writing seems somehow connected with the Elemental Air language, Auran."

A loud snort came from Tarah. "Again…we already know that from your ramblings."

Syrus felt his cheeks flush. "A…and there's some old residual magical traces on the arch and the glass…conjuration/summoning type magic, but very faint…"

Hewe walked up and placed a firm hand on the boy's shoulder. "You did fine, lad. Anything we should be concerned about?"

The little bluenette shook his head. "N…no."

"That didn't sound very reassuring." Tarah said with her usual disdain.

"No." Syrus said firmly. "Nothing's dangerous…well about this thing at least. I'm gonna take some of these shards back to Master Allustan. He'll figure out what this is!" Syrus managed a weak smile.

Hewe tightened the straps on his spiked gauntlets. "Well, let's press forward, shall we?"

"Ohhh…pretty!" Preston dully said. The three turned to look at him. During Syrus' explanation of the shattered mirror, Preston had wandered over and had brushed away some spider webs. Beneath the silk was a sight. A mural, still in its original glory could be seen. The scene was of a chamber bathed in a full spectrum of light as several lanterns hung from the ceiling, each lantern of a different color.

"Wow!" Syrus gasped, his jaw dropping. "Beautiful!"

Even Tarah could find nothing to scoff about that.

They studied the mural before continuing down the corridor. Hewe was in the lead this time, his dwarven sight allowing him to see farther than could the three humans. A moment later, he held up a hand. "Hold!" He said. "I see something ahead."

Syrus whimpered as he took a tighter grip on the glowing quarterstaff. Both Tarah and Preston readied their weapons, as Hewe quietly made his way forward.

It seemed like hours to the boy before Hewe spoke again. "'S alright! Only bones, and from the looks of 'em they've been here a while."

They made their way up to where Hewe was standing. A skeleton dressed in rags lay crumpled on the floor. Hewe was searching through a crumbly backpack. Syrus started to open his mouth to say something about leaving the body alone, but then he remembered that he was an adventurer now, and that adventurers did this sort of thing.

Hewe removed an oddly-shaped piece of granite. "Hmm…looks like a finger." He said as he held it up. Sure enough, it was a stone in the shape of a finger…probably from some statue. Without a word, Hewe placed it into his belt pouch and continued forward.

Up ahead, a greenish glow could be seen. The party cautiously made its way forward. The corridor opened up into a large chamber. On the ceiling were several lanterns, all of a different color. The light came from the green lantern. In the middle of the room, a large sarcophagus could be seen. The shape of it was odd, however. It was made in the shape of an arrow.

But before they could investigate further, a deep growl was heard from the group's right. Turning, they spotted three large wolves who had spotted them first. And quicker than Syrus had thought it possible, they charged!

"Wow, Sy!" Alexis said. "That's really good! What happens next?"

"EEEEP!" Syrus jumped and in doing so, unplugged the computer. "Aww, man!"


End file.
